Toilet-powder box.



vNo. 697,729. Patented Apr. I5, |902. E. M. LICHTENSTEIN.

TOILET POWDER BOX.

'Application tiled Oct. 26, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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STATESY PATENT OFFICE;

ELLA MAY Lion'rENsTEIN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOILET-POWDER BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,729, dated April 15, 1902.

Application led October'25, 1901. Serial No. 79,887. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLA MAY LIGHTEN- STEIN, a citizen of the United States, and a v resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toilet-Powder Boxes, of which struction and combination of parts herein-v after described, and finally pointed out in the claims- In the drawings forming part of this specitication, Figure lis a side elevation of a conf, ventional box, otherwise constructed in ac-v Fig. 2 1s;

cordance with my improvements. a sectional elevation centrallyrthereof on the plane of the line 2 2, Fig. l. view of the distributing-diaphragm; and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on the line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters represent corresponding views.

The object of my invention is to provide a box which not only can be used to hold the contained toilet powder or similar substance for storage and shipment, but which will essentially provide means for preventing undue loss or extravagant use of the powder.

For holding toilet powder it has been customary to provide boxes in which -the powder is contained, in which also is placed a puff7 or similar article, which is adapted to carry with it upon removal considerable of the contained powder and which permits of its being distributed upon the person of the user. Another way has been to employ a chamois or other cloth, which has been inserted in the powder, removing a quantity thereof for application to the person. Both of these and other like methods of use result in not only unnecessarily distributing the powder, but in extravagantly removing the same. In other words, more has been removed from the box than is essential for the requirements of its use. To avoid this, various forms of toilet boxes have been devised,none of which,

parts throughout the several.

however, have, so far as I know, either from cost of manufacture or complexity of construction, are adapted to act both as an original package for storage and shipping the powder and as a toilet box. These devices have comprised, essentially, suitably-constructed boxes having a horizontally-disposed andk stationary (relative to vertical movement) partition, notable examples of these boxes being found in the patents to W. Hill, No. 472,217, dated April 5, 1892, land C. l. Thomas, No. 520,343, dated May 22, 1894. In the former patent a partition is provided havinga central opening defined by downwardly-extending projections which rest at all times upon the bottom of the box. In the latter patent the box is provided with a hemispherical partition secured interiorly in the box at a distance above the bottom of the box and provided with apertures extending throughout the entire surface exposed to the space belowit. In neither of these structures is the partition movable vertically; In neither of them is it movable to follow the powder down as it is used. In neither of them is the partition thin and flexible, so that by slightly tapping the same the powder will be forced through apertures centrally disposed or grouped with relation to the partition. In neither of them are found centrally-grouped apertures located in the dat portion of the partition, so as to admit of a further fine distribution of the powder ejected from below by dispel-sing it with a cloth or finger thereon and Obtaining a thin iilm of powder for application to the person, and in neither of these structures is found a cheap and simple package adapted in any way to form an ori ginal package and the toilet article.

The foregoing states the results obtained and the improvements from which they iiow.

By reference to the drawings,'which disclose an embodiment of my invention, lisa box of conventional construction, of paper or any other desired material; 2, the bottom; 3, the walls, and a a conventional cover therefor. I prefer that this box be circular, as

shown, although it may be found advantageous to employ other forms; but I do not limit myself to any particular shape or construction of box herein shown.

At 5 is the partition or diaphragm, (specif- IOO vIO

ter.

ically circular,) and the powder therein, diagrammatically illustrated. The partition or diaphragm, as I prefer to call it, is made of a thin liexible sheet of paper or other desirable material, suiciently flexible to allow of its being downwardly distorted bylight pressure, and which should fit the interior of the box substantially snugly, but with sufficient clearance to permit it to either fall of its own weight with the consumption of the powder or becaused to follow the same downwardly by slight pressure. I prefer that the t of the diaphragm in the box be such as to not permit the powder being forced up be-l tween its periphery and the inner walls of the box; but if this occurs it will not be material, as the escape of the powder at that point will be comparatively small, it being inf tended that the ej ectment come from the cen- The diaphragm is further provided with perforations 7, which are preferably small and elongated (though not essentially so) and which are grouped together and located centrally (preferably) of the diaphragm with reference to its periphery. Y

In use the loose fit of the diaphragm in the box or slight pressure thereon will cause it to follow the powder down as it is used and by slightly tapping or flexing thev diaphragm, preferably over the apertures, with thefinger or the'cloth by which the powder is to be applied the latter will be forced through the apertures (as in Fig. 2) either directly onto the cloth or out upon the top of the diaphragm, from whence it can be directly applied upon theperson or spread out thinly before doing so.

By means of the foregoing construction the powder can be put in the box, stored, transported for sale as an original package, and finally employed as toilet box. The powder -can be more equally distributed for immediate use and its extravagant use or loss avoided, the movable diaphragm permitting all of the powder to be used without shaking or disturbing the box.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In an article of the class described, the combination with a box, of. a thin and flexible diaphragm loosely fitting the interior of the box, and provided with a plurality of centrally-grouped apertures, whereby the diaphragm is ladapted for being flexed to eject the comminuted contents through the centrally grouped apertures, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an article of the class described, of a box comprising a circular body, a cover therefor, and a circular diaphragm loosely fitting the interior of the box, and adapted to be moved to the bottom thereof, said diaphragm being made of thin lexible material, and provided with a plurality of apertures centrally grouped with reference to the periphery thereof, whereby the diaphragm is adapted for being flexed to eject the comminuted contents through the centrally-grouped apertures, substantially as described.

3. In an article of the class described, the combination With a box, of a thin, fiat and flexible diaphragm loosely fit-ting the interior of the box, and provided with a plurality vof apertures grouped at the central and dat portion thereof, whereby the diaphragm is adapted for being flexed to eject the comminuted contents through the centrally-grouped apertures, substantially as described.

Signed in the city, county, and State of New York this 22d day of October, 1901.

ELLA MAY LICHTENSTEIN.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES GAHREN, CHAs. G. IAIENsLEY. 

